A Win-Win: McGavock High’s Peer Buddy Program

Focusing on the Nashville’s McGavock High School, this memorable story shines a spotlight on how a well-planned peer buddy program improves the lives of students with and without disabilities.

One of the largest high schools in Tennessee, McGavock enrolled more than 2,700 students when they started their peer buddy program, more than 300 of whom were receiving special education services. Students with disabilities—especially students with more severe disabilities—spent most of their school day in self-contained or resource classrooms, though they ate lunch in the cafeteria and attended some general education classes. The general and special education teachers felt the McGavock school community could and should do a better job supporting full participation and membership of students with disabilities. But with limited supports available to help teachers adapt curricula and make individualized accommodations, this was a challenging prospect. That’s where the McGavock High peer buddy program came in—and here’s how it helped.